“New Strategy” against Terrorism: More Police but No Second Amendment

I don’t mean the Second Amendment is explicitly opposed (though that happens often enough), but this Reuters story on strategy for fighting homegrown terrorism doesn’t even mention it.

U.S. officials, faced with an evolving threat of deadly attacks by homegrown extremists, are rethinking their strategy on battling domestic terror after Wednesday’s assault that killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., the New York Times reported on Saturday.

The United States should beef up airline security by increasing agents in overseas airports, bolster standards for visa waiver programs, and improve communications between officials and Muslim communities to help locate threats, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson told the Times.

“We have moved to an entirely new phase in the global terrorist threat and in our homeland security efforts,” Johnson told the newspaper in an interview. Terrorists have “in effect outsourced attempts to attack our homeland. We’ve seen this not just here but in other places. This requires a whole new approach, in my view.”

Jerry Falwell, Jr., had the right idea for keeping Liberty University safe. According to the Associated Press,

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. urged students, staff and faculty at his Christian school to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon on campus to counter any copycat attack like the deadly rampage in California just days ago.

“Let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here,” Falwell told an estimated 10,000 of the campus community at convocation Friday in Lynchburg. While Falwell’s call to arms was applauded, his remarks also seemed to target Muslims.

“I’ve always thought if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in.” Falwell said.

Of course, not all Muslims are terrorists, so we might wish Falwell spoke more precisely. But his basic appeal to people’s right and ability to defend themselves is spot on.